Why buy a hybrid?

Turns out, I was the fool.

Nevertheless, the hybrid market is what is it is – less than 3 percent of overall vehicle sales today – and the lack of hybrid incentives now available certainly isn’t going to help increase those numbers.

So, will EV incentives last forever?

Back in 2005 Anthony Pratt, then senior manager of global powertrain forecasting at J.D. Power, stated that by 2010 hybrid cars would top out at 3 percent of the market. I thought he was nuts, believing interest and concern in foreign oil dependence would swell into more intelligent American auto consumerism.

Instead, today, with most tax credits for hybrid vehicles are all but expired, is 3 % market share really that surprising, especially considering that, according to a search today, very few hybrid incentives are even available? The best deals I could find in my zip code – 90042 – were $1000 off a Chevy Silverado hybrid, or 0 % financing on a Nissan Altima hybrid. Of course, both those deals probably require Tier 1 Credit, and how many American consumers qualify for such deals at that standard? Moreover, incentives on non-hybrid versions provide much more cash back.

Consequently, seriously, is there any wonder why there hasn’t been a hybrid in the Top 10 best sellers for many months, and only one hybrid that is, or has ever been, in the top-selling ballpark?

Similarly, in yesterday’s Battery-only cars face avalanche of negatives, Neil Winton discusses the more significant struggle that EVs face. And, I’d argue that compared to hybrids, EV’s do face a much tougher sell to American consumers, except for the huge tax incentives that Congress is providing “for rich people who already have $30,000 to buy a second car,” as Winton calls them.

Nevertheless, even with those massive tax incentives – as much as $11,500 ($7500 feds + $4000 CA) – most powertrain analysts expect that after a decade – just as with hybrids – penetration will still be just a few percent. Unless, as Winton might reply, the government has unlimited EV tax money to spend on “rich people”.